Thanks to the drone, vaccine supply reaches an isolated island in the Pacific Ocean



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A male baby on an isolated island in the Pacific Ocean became the first human to receive vaccines from commercial drones.

Vaccine delivery using drones in Vanuatu can be achieved through the role of the United Nations Children's Agency, Unicef.

Up to now, about 20% of Vanuatu's children have not been vaccinated because of the difficulty of reaching the most remote places. By using a drone, Unicef ​​hopes that this problem can be solved in the future.

"Small flights using drones are now a big step forward for global health," said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore.

"Since the world is still struggling to vaccinate children, drone technology can be a differentiator to cross the last mile to reach every child," he added.

droneThe first baby to be vaccinated by a drone. (UNICEF)

Although the drone has been used to deliver drugs, Unicef ​​says this is the first time a country has used a commercial drone company to deliver vaccines to remote locations.

The Swoop Aero drone before takeoffThe drones belong to the company Swoop Aero. (UNICEF)

Two companies are trying to win the project contract in Vanuatu. In the end, the Australian company Swoop Aero was successful after several trials earlier this month.

The company's drones carry vaccines packaged in polystyrene boxes, with ice accumulators and temperature recorders, in remote villages on the island of Erromango, Vanuatu.

https://twitter.com/UNICEFPacific/status/1070603704414298112

The vaccine package was sent from Dillon 's Bay, in the west of the island, to Cook' s Bay, in the east of the island. The two sites are separated by mountainous regions about 40 kilometers apart.

Without the help of a drone, Cook's Bay can be reached on foot or by boat only for hours. However, using a drone, the vaccine package arrives in 25 minutes.

Map of VanuatuBBC

Once the vaccine arrived, the nurse named Miriam Nampil used it to immunize 13 children and five pregnant women.

"It's very difficult to transport crates of ice to keep vaccines cool while walking in rivers, mountains, rocks, in the rain," said Nampil.

"Because of the long and arduous journey, I can only go there once a month to vaccinate children, but thanks to these drones, we can hope to reach more children in the most remote places. of the island, "he concluded.



(Ita)


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